The master of multiphonics (playing more than one note at a time on a horn), Albert Mangelsdorff has been a giant of the European avant-garde for the past 30 years. He originally studied violin and worked as a jazz guitarist before taking up the trombone in 1948. He played bop in the 1950s, including with Hans Koller and local orchestras. By the time he recorded an album with John Lewis in 1962, Mangelsdorff was starting to lean toward the avant-garde. He has since recorded unaccompanied solo albums, been documented at a concert with Jaco Pastorius, led trios, and worked with the Globe Unity Orchestra and the United Jazz & Rock Ensemble.